Reclining article of furniture



June 14, 1949. 1 LORENZ 2,472,855

RECLINING ARTICLE OF FURNITURE Fil ed Sept. 17, 1946 INVENTOR 1 /1 70 laei/vz W. H l ATTORNEY Patented June 14, 1949 D Si-TATE S PATEN OFFIC E 'REGLININ G ARTICLE-'QOF'EU-RNITURE Anton Lorenz, Buffalo, N. Y. Application September 17,1946,7Serial'No.56,97,503

This invention relates to articleslof furniture,

and more particularly :to .a reclining article of furniturew'wherein the seat and a -downwa-rd extension of .-theback-rest:form movable links of a polygonal compound linkage swingably mounted on :a support, a-portion of :the latter forming the stationarytlink of zsaidxlinkage.

An object of-the present invention is to provide a reclining-article.ofsrurnitureof above described ype, wherein :the:movab.le members of the article of 'furnituresare -very-well balanced, so that an occupant resting in the :article of furniture may bring .the.movable;members. of the article of furniture from one position into another position without :greatiefiort.

.A further objeotao'fzthe. present, invention is to .provide..a:;reclining article. of .furniture of above described ,typeiequippedxwitha leg-rest swingably mounted onathe: seat :and' controlled by a controlling mechanism, wherein the :leg-rest may be swung :through-ra relatively Jarge .angle during a movement of itheamovablemembers of the article of furniture. from .their' sitting :position into their extreme reclined position.

. Still anotherlobject ROfQ the-invention :is :to .improve-'u'pon reclining zarticlesof ffurn'iture as [cur- .rently made;

With the-:above andz other objects :of the'zinvention in view, 113119 invention: consists in the novel construction; arrangement and combination of various devices; elements and plants, as set forth in the-claims hereof; certain embodiments of .the same beingwdescribed in the" specificationand-being illustrated .-.i n cthe accompanying drawings iormingupartrof this n peci-fication, wherein:

1 isa sideaelevational view; of an adjustable :reclining.-.chair-according to the invention,

a: portion of-.a-;side:-wall vbeing-broken away,

i 2-is asectionalaview' ta-kenon line-Z-Z of Fig.1, and

-pointbelow the-pivotal connection 2-2'betweenthe 5 Claims. (Cl. 155-105) front link 24 and the seat 18 with the lower end portion .of-a connecting .link 28, the upper end of a ,four-bar link-mechanism.

Aback-rest .32 -is;pivoted;to the support NJ at 3.4' at a point-spaced 1from.,the;pivotal connection .20 between the-seat ;l-.8. and the-support l0. Said back-rest 32 has a downwardextension 36 projectin-gidownwardlvbeyondthepivotal connection 34 between the back-rest .3'2/and'the support Ill. According to the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, said extension 36 isintegral-with theback-rest 32; said extension, however, could also-be made of a separate ;piece of material rigidly connected with said backerest 32 in any suitable manner. On each side of the chair, :the rear portion of a lowerlink 38 518 pivotedgtosaidextension 36 of the backrest.-3-2:atapointdll below the pivotal connection. 34- between-the back-rest 32 and the support 1:0. Thafron't 1ink'24 has an'extension :42 projecting beyond its pivotal connection 26 with the connecting link 28. {llhe .front portion ofthelower link.38 ispivoted at a l-l to said extension 4-2 of thefronttlink. 24 at a point spaced from the -pivotalconnection--'26of said front link 24 with the connecting link 28.

Above described four-bar slink-mechanism I8,

:24, ;28,--3020 and the:link-chain=36,.38 form in combination with eaoh-other a-polygonal compound-linkage. The Jinks. of said polygonal com- ,pound-linkage mayibe readily arrangedin such a manner and in-such;.proportions, that the :movable members-pf the chair are very well balancecl, so thatanwoccupant restingin the chair may brirrgthe movablemembers of the chair from one position (for example ,thesitting position shown- .full lines) into another position (for example the extreme reclined position shown in .dasheandedot lines) without great effort.

Furthermore, the 1egerest.4.6' is gswingably mountedonrtheif-ront:portionoftheseat It at 48.

Oneendof a controlling linkis;pivotally connected-with said leg-erest-dtwat- 5.2; the, other-end of said controlling link-5ll=ispivotaily connectedwith an extension ".53 of the; connecting link 28 at 5 5. Said .control lingili-nk '50 semester. control the swinging movements Ofthfi leg-west 46 about its pivot 48 when the movable members of the chair are moved from one position, for example the sitting position shown in full lines, into another position, for example the extreme reclined position shown in dash-and-dot lines.

The sitting position of the movable members of the chair is limited by a stop 56 mounted on the support I for abutting engagement with the extension 36 of the back-rest 32. The extreme reclined position of the movable members of the chair is limited by a stop 58 mounted on the support I0 for cooperation with the back-rest 32.

When the occupant of the chair leans the weight of his body against the back-rest 32, the latter will be swung from its upright position shown in full lines into a reclined position shown in dash-and-dot lines. At the same time, the seat I3 and the leg-rest 46 will be lifted into the dash-and-dot lines positions through the medium of above described linkage and controlling means.

The movable members of the chair may be held in any desired position, for example in the extreme reclined position shown in dash-and-dot lines or in any other intermediate reclined position, by means of a locking device generally indicated by 60. As best shown in Figs. 1 and 2, said locking device 60 comprises a locking rod 62 pivoted to the seat is at 64 and slidably engaged with a clip 66. A supporting element 68 is secured to the side-frame I2. A bolt I0 having a head 12 at one of its ends and having a threaded portion '14 at its other end passes through a bore 16 of the supporting element 68, through the bore 18 of a washer 83 interposed between the supporting element 68 and the clip 66, through the bores 02 of the clip 66 and through the bore 84 of a sleeve 86 slidably arranged in a bore 83 of the side frame I2 and interposed between the clip 66 and a locking knob 90 screwed on the threaded end portion of the bolt I0. A nose 92 arranged on the It and engaged with a recess of the supporting element 68 prevents the bolt from rotation. When the locking knob 90 is loosened, the locking rod 62 may freely slide in the clip 66, and, consequently, the movable members of the chair may freely be moved from one position into another one. When the locking knob 90 is tightened, the sleeve 86 is urged against the clip 56, whereby said clip is tightened on the locking rod 62, so that the members of the chair are held in their position. Of course, any other type of locking device may be used instead of said locking device 60, if desired.

According to the embodiment of an adjustable reclining chair shown in Fig. 3, the support I I0 is made of tubular material bent in a suitable manner so as to form the side-frames H2 and H4. Again, the movable seat H8 pivoted to the support H0 at I20, the movable front link I24 pivoted to the seat H8 at I22, the movable connecting link I28 pivoted to the front link I24 at I26 and pivoted to the support I I0 at I30 as well as the stationary portion of the support IIO between the pivots I30 and I20 form the links of a four-bar link-mechanism. Furthermore, again the back-rest I32 having a downward extension I36 is pivoted to the support I I0 at I34 at a point spaced from the pivotal connection I20 between the seat I I8 and the support I I0. Moreover, the rear portion of the lower link I38 is pivoted to the extension I36 of the back-rest I32 at I40. Ac cording to Fig. 3, however, the front portion of said lower link I38 is pivoted at I94 to an intermediate point of the front link I24 between the 4 pivotal connection I22 of the front link I24 with the seat H8 and the pivotal connection I26 of the front link I24 with the connecting link I28.

The sitting position of the movable members of the chair shown in full lines is limited by the stop I56 mounted on the support I I0 for cooperation with the extension I36 of the back-rest I32. The extreme reclined position of the movable members of the chair is limited by the stop I58 mounted on the support I I0 for cooperation with the back-rest I32.

When the back-rest I32 is swung from its upright position into the reclined position shown in dash-and-dot lines, the seat H8 is lifted into the reclined position shown in dash-and-dot lines through the medium of above described linkage.

The movable members of the chair may be held in any desired position by means of the looking device I60 arranged on a lug of the frame and substantially corresponding to the locking device shown in Fig. 2.

I have described preferred embodiments of my invention, but it is understood that this disclosure is for the purpose of illustration, and that various omissions or changes in shape, proportion, and arrangement of parts, as well as the substitution of equivalent elements for those, herein shown and described, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

For example, one or more of the links of the linkage of the chairs may be in the shape of a bent link instead of a straight link as shown in the drawings.

Furthermore, one or more of the links of the linkage of the chairs may be made of adjustable length so as to vary the relative positions and movements of the members of the chair.

Furthermore, the invention may be applied to other articles of furniture than the type of chairs shown in the drawings, for example to office chairs, garden chairs, chairs for use in railroad cars, chairs for use in airplanes, loungets, etc.

What I claim is:

1. A reclining article of furniture, comprising: a support, a seat, the rear portion of said seat being pivoted to said support, a front link, the upper portion of said front link being pivoted to the front portion of said seat, a connecting link, one end portion of said connecting link being pivoted to said front link at a point below the pivotal connection between the front link and the seat, the other end portion of said connecting link being pivoted to said support at a point spaced from the pivotal connection between the seat and the support, said seat, said front link, said connecting link and the stationary portion of the support between the pivotal connections of the connecting link with the support and of the seat with the support forming the links of a four-bar link-mechanism, a back-rest, said back-rest being pivoted to said support at a point spaced from the pivotal connection between the seat and the support, said backrest having an extension projecting downwardly beyond the pivotal connection between said backrest and said support, and a lower link, the rear portion of said lower link being pivoted to said extension of the back-rest below the pivotal connection between the back-rest and the support, and the front portion of said lower link being pivoted to a point of the front link spaced from its pivotal connection with the connecting link.

2. A reclining article of furniture, comprising: a support, a seat, the rear portion of said seat being pivoted to said support, a front link, the upper portion of said front link being pivoted to the pivoted to said support at a point spaced from the front portion of said seat, a connecting link, one

end portion of said connecting link being pivoted to said front link at a point below the pivota cow nection between the front link and the seat, the other end portion of said connecting link being pivoted to said support at a point spaced from the pivotal connection between the seat and the support, said seat, said front link, said connecting link and the stationary portion of the support between the pivotal connections of the connecting link with the support and of the seat with the support forming the links of a four-bar linkmechanism, a back-rest, said back-rest being pivoted to said support at a point spaced from the pivotal connection between the seat and the support, said back-rest having an extension pro- J'ecting downwardly beyond the pivotal connection between said back-rest and said support, a lower link, the rear portion of said lower link being pivoted to said extension of the back-rest below the pivotal connection between the back-rest and the support, the front portion of said lower link being pivoted to a point of the front link spaced from its pivotal connection with the connecting link, and locking means associated with at least one member of the link-system of the article for locking the movable members thereof.

3. A reclining article of furniture, comprising: a support, a seat, the rear portion of said seat being pivoted to said support, a front link, the upper portion of said front link being pivoted to the front portion of said seat, a connecting link, one end portion of said connecting link being pivoted to said front link at a point below the pivotal connection between the front link and the seat, the other end portion of said connecting link being pivoted to said support at a point spaced from the pivotal connection between the seat and the support, said seat, said front link, said connecting link and the stationary portion of the support between the pivotal connections of the connecting link with the support and of the seat with the support forming the links of a four-bar linkmechanism, said front link having an extension projecting beyond its pivotal connection with the connecting link, a back-rest, said back-rest being pivoted to said support at a point spaced from the pivotal connection between the seat and the support, said back-rest having an extension projecting downwardly beyond the pivotal connection between said back-rest and said support, and a lower link, the rear portion of said lower link being pivoted to said extension of the back-rest below the pivotal connection between the backrest and the support, and the front portion of said lower link being pivoted to said extension of the front link.

4. A reclining article of furniture, comprising: a support, a seat, the rear portion of said seat being pivoted to said support, a front link, the upper portion of said front link being pivoted to the front portion of said seat, a connecting link, one end portion of said connecting link being pivoted to said front link at a point below the pivotal connection between the front link and the seat, the other end portion of said connecting link being pivotal connection between the seat and the support, said seat, said front link, said connecting link and the stationary portion of the support between the pivotal connections of the connecting link with the support and of the seat with the support forming the links of a four-bar link-mechanism, a back-rest, said back-rest being pivoted to said support at a point spaced from the pivotal connection between the seat and the support, said back-rest having an extension projecting downwardly beyond the pivotal connection between said back-rest and said support, and a lower link, the rear portion of said lower link being pivoted to said extension of the back-rest below the pivotal connection between the back-rest and the support, and the front portion of said lower link being pivoted to any intermediate point of the front link between the pivotal connections of the latter with the connecting link and the seat.

5. A reclining article of furniture, comprising: a support, a seat, the rear portion of said seat being pivoted to said support, a front link, the upper portion of said front link being pivoted to the front portion of said seat, a connecting link, one end portion of said connecting link being pivoted to said front link at a point below the pivotal connection between the front link and the seat, the other end portion of said connecting link being pivoted to said support at a point spaced from the pivotal connection between the seat and the support, said seat, said front link, said connecting link and the stationary portion of the support between the pivotal connections of the connecting link with the support and of the seat with the support forming the links of a four-bar linkmechanism, a back-rest, said back-rest being pivoted to said support at a point spaced from the pivotal connection between the seat and the support, said back-rest having an extension projecting downwardly beyond the pivotal connection between said back-rest and said support, a lower link, the rear portion of said lower link being pivoted to said extension of the back-rest below the pivotal connection between the back-rest and the support, the front portion of said lower link being pivoted to a point of the front link spaced from its pivotal connection with the connecting link, a leg-rest swingably mounted on the front portion of said seat, and controlling means on a member of said article for controlling movements of the leg-rest, said member being exclusive of the seat.

ANTON LORENZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 36,130 Nortwick Aug. 5, 1862 799,128 Wilmot et al Sept. 12, 1905 1,166,198 Fischrupp Dec. 28, 1915 2,433,520 Lorenz Dec. 30, 1947 2,433,521 Lorenz Dec. 30, 1947 

